TV Ad Features Three Patient Advocates: “Americans Can’t Wait Any Longer”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new video ad today calling on Congress to include the previously negotiated reforms that lower drug prices in any final reconciliation package. The 30-second video ad is running in Washington, D.C., and features three patient advocates: Therese Ball of Indiana, Kris Garcia of Colorado, and Iesha Meza of Arizona. In addition, the campaign includes digital static ads in D.C. as well as grassroots advocacy in key states, where patients call their senators and ask for their support on the current drug price provisions.
The video ad opens with Therese, who lives with multiple sclerosis. “The medications I need to live are priced at over $7,000 every month,” she says. “Millions of Americans can’t afford the medicines they need to survive,” continues Iesha, who lives with type 1 diabetes and depends on insulin. Kris, who lives with multiple bleeding disorders, including hemophilia, adds, “Congress needs to let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices for us.”
“The landmark drug price provisions negotiated painstakingly over several months and included in the Build Back Better plan remain the top priority for Americans and are overwhelmingly supported by more than 80 percent of voters – Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike,” said David Mitchell, a patient with incurable blood cancer whose drugs carry a list price of more than $900,000 per year and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “This legislation will save lives, lower prices, and fight inflation by holding the line on premiums and health care costs for patients, employers, employees, and taxpayers. Failure is not an option – we need Congress to pass these historic reforms in any reconciliation package that is finally agreed to.”
The ads launch as the Senate reconvenes to continue negotiations around the reconciliation package. The drug price provisions under consideration will, for the first time, authorize Medicare to negotiate prices directly for some of the most expensive prescription medicines, including insulin; institute a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries; and limit annual price increases to stop price gouging by drug corporations.
“Any reconciliation package must include reforms that lower drug prices,” the video ad concludes. “Americans can’t wait any longer.”
Watch the full ad here and view the digital ads below.
P4ADNow also launched a new radio ad today in West Virginia calling on Senator Manchin to support the reconciliation package to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. All recent P4ADNow ads can be found here.
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“We Need Senator Manchin’s Support. His Vote Will Make The Difference For West Virginians. Please, Senator Manchin, Don’t Let This Moment Slip Away”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a new radio ad today as part of its ongoing campaign in West Virginia. The ad highlights Senator Joe Manchin’s opportunity to deliver on his strong support for Medicare negotiation to lower drug prices for West Virginians by swiftly passing a reconciliation package that includes strong drug price reforms. The campaign includes a new 60-second radio ad and grassroots advocacy, in which patients call the senator directly thanking him for supporting Medicare negotiation and asking him to support the reconciliation package, including the current provisions that will lower drug prices for West Virginians.
“Patients have been waiting nearly 20 years for Medicare to be allowed to negotiate lower prices on their behalf. Right now, we are closer than we have ever been to closing a deal that would be historic in lowering drug prices for West Virginians and all Americans,” said David Mitchell, a patient with incurable blood cancer whose drugs carry a list price of more than $900,000 per year and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now. “Big Pharma is doing everything in its power to block this from happening, and we need Senator Manchin’s support for a reconciliation package that includes provisions allowing Medicare to negotiate. Patients have waited too long; we can’t let this moment slip away.”
The ad launches as the Senate reconvenes and continues negotiations around the reconciliation package. The drug price provisions under consideration will, for the first time, authorize Medicare to negotiate prices directly for some of the most expensive prescription medicines, including insulin; institute a hard cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries; and limit annual price increases to stop price gouging by drug corporations.
“It makes no sense at all that we don’t go out and negotiate. The VA does a tremendous job. Medicaid does it. Why doesn’t Medicare?” Senator Manchin says in the radio ad. The voiceover adds, “We’ve never been so close. The plan in Congress could pass right now. But we need Senator Manchin’s support. His vote will make the difference for West Virginians. Please, Senator Manchin, don’t let this moment slip away.”
Listen to the full radio ad here.
P4ADNow also released a new TV ad today in Washington, D.C., demanding that Congress include the previously negotiated reforms that lower drug prices in any final reconciliation package. All of P4ADNow’s recent ads can be viewed here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs Now launched a seven-figure ad buy today across 12 House districts thanking representatives for supporting proposals to lower drug prices by allowing Medicare negotiation. This campaign counters Big Pharma’s recent attack ads against H.R. 3, a House bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate on behalf of Americans. The ads will run on cable and broadcast in 12 districts during August recess and feature three patients who have struggled to afford their prescription drugs.
“Americans are paying almost four times what people in other wealthy nations pay for the same brand-name drugs. Members of Congress know that 9 out of 10 Americans support reforms that allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for the people of this country,” said David Mitchell, a cancer patient and founder of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
“We want to send a clear message to those members of the House standing with patients in support of Medicare negotiation — we thank you and we have your back,” Mitchell continued. “Contrary to Big Pharma’s lies, we can have the innovation we need at prices patients can afford. As the president said last week, high drug prices ‘put the squeeze on too many families and strip them of their dignity … Medicare is going to negotiate a fair price!’”
The ads highlight three patient advocates: Jackie, a cancer patient in Muskego, Wisconsin, whose treatment, Revlimid, is priced at over $20,000 per month; Ashley, a psoriatic arthritis patient in Houston who relied on Humira, which is currently priced at $5,968 per month; and Marcus, who lives with type 1 diabetes in Cincinnati and struggles to afford his insulin.
“Because insulin is so expensive, I’ve had to skip and ration my doses,” Marcus, a husband, father, and minister, says in the ad.
“It’s really simple,” Ashley explains. “Prescription drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them.”
The ads end with a message thanking each representative. “Right now, there’s a plan in Congress to let Medicare negotiate lower drug prices,” says the ad in Kansas’ third congressional district. “Sharice Davids supports it. Representative Davids, thank you.”
The ads will run in the following districts:
P4ADNow’s House ads begin airing days after the launch of a new national adthat calls on Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate, as well as a new advocacy website — MedicareNegotiation.org — for patients to advocate for Congress to pass legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.
The House of Representatives reintroduced Medicare negotiation legislation H.R. 3 in April. Since then, President Biden has called on Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. The Senate has voted to move forward with drafting a legislative package to deliver on the president’s Build Back Better plan, which includes lowering drug prices through Medicare negotiation, and the Senate Finance Committee is reportedly drafting another bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate, and is likely to be included in the Senate’s final package.
In addition to P4ADNow’s campaign, other groups such as AARP and Protect Our Care are also running sizable ad campaigns to counter pharma’s ads and remind Congress that patients support Medicare negotiation.
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